Panthers primed for upcoming Big East Tournament

The Pitt tennis team is on a roll, recording its second consecutive 5-2 victory last weekend… The Pitt tennis team is on a roll, recording its second consecutive 5-2 victory last weekend when they defeated the Villanova Wildcats and the Bucknell Bison.

“We are definitely in the Big East Championship now, after getting the win against Villanova. Only 12 out of 16 teams qualify and we will most likely be the 11th seed,” explained head coach George Dieffenbach.

Last Saturday at Bucknell, the singles players won three of five matches. Pitt’s top player, freshman Kristy Borza, defeated the Bison’s Veronica Brown in a two-set match with scores of 6-3, 6-4.

Pitt’s No. 2 player, Leah Friedman, came up short against Bucknell’s Chelsea Mills, who won 6-1, 6-4. Bucknell’s Paulina Gamboa then went on to defeat Annie Davies with a score of 7-5, 6-1 in third singles.

In an impressive match, Pitt’s Emily Hughes overcame Ashley Globerman after a super tie breaker in the third set, winning the contest 6-4, 7-6, 10-6. Teammates Carlie Smith and Christie D’achille both captured wins for the Panthers when they beat Joanna Grossman 6-0, 6-1 and Tiffany Card 6-2, 7-5, respectively.

Both Borza and Smith are 23-7 in singles wins this season, which means breaking the 26-7 all-time record is not out of reach for either player.

In doubles action, the No. 1 duo of Borza and Friedman dropped an 8-5 decision to Bucknell’s Brown and Gamboa. In the No. 2 slot, Pitt’s Hughes and Smith defeated Mills and Kaylie Baffa by a score of 8-6.

The Villanova victory was essential for the Panthers, qualifying them for the Big East Championships and improving Pitt’s record to 14-5 on the season and 5-3 in the conference – its best record since 1998.

“To me this is the best team in the history of the school because our schedule is stronger than it was in 1998 and we have five wins and three losses in conference, the most wins in the conference we have ever had,” Dieffenbach said.

In singles action against Villanova, Hughes truly earned her 94th career win for the Panthers in a struggle against Villanova’s Danny Phillis.

Hughes won an intense tie breaker in the first set 7-6 (4), but could not get a game off Phillis in the second set, as she was shutout 0-6. She made a comeback, however, in the final set for the 6-2 victory.

After the Villanova match, Hughes’ record of 57 singles wins places her sixth all-time at Pitt. She is now only two wins behind her sister Hayley, a 2004 graduate, and is working toward her 100th victory, a task that only seven Panthers prior have achieved.

“Emily Hughes is a great player for us in clutch situations, we have even nicknamed her ‘The Closer,'” Dieffenbach said. “We can always count on her in matches against Big East competitors.”

In doubles action, Borza and Friedman won the first doubles team matchup against Carlin and A. Reed with a score of 8-6.

“Kristy and Leah are 18-8, unofficially I think that is one of the greatest records in the history of the program, especially since they are playing the top,” Dieffenbach said.

Although Pitt’s Hughes and Smith dropped an 8-5 decision to the Wildcat’s Reilly and Williamson in the second doubles position, fellow Panthers Davies and Emmers dominated the third doubles match with a near shutout score of 8-1.

This win kept alive Davies and Emmer’s four-game win streak, improving their record to 10-4 for the season. They have won eight of their last nine matches.

“With 70 combined singles and doubles wins, Becky Emmers is coming on strong and really has some good numbers for us at the No. 3 position,” said Dieffenbach.

Today the Panthers will recognize seniors Emmers and Hughes before they take on Duquesne at 1 p.m. at Club 4 Life in Monroeville, Pa.

In addition to it being senior day, the team is asking for fans to donate $1 to the Nike Foundation in an effort to give disadvantaged girls the opportunity to acquire the skills they need to maximize their potential.

“It is really a worthy cause,” Dieffenbach said. “Today’s match is much more than just a tennis match.”